Multiple domain addressing in message routing

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method determines a first address of a sender and a second address of a receiver. The first address includes a first hierarchy of a plurality of domains and the second address includes a second hierarchy of a plurality of domains. The method then calculates a crossover point and an index based on the crossover point and the first hierarchy of the first address. The method sends a message from the sender to the receiver where the message includes the index. Before the index reaches a predefined value, each node that receives the message adjusts the index and sends the message to a parent node based on the first address. Also, when the index reaches a predefined value, each node sends the message to a child node based on the second address until a domain in which the receiver is located is reached.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining a first address of a sender and a second address of a receiver, the first address including a first hierarchy of a plurality of domains and the second address including a second hierarchy of a plurality of domains;   calculating a crossover point based on the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy, the crossover point being one of the domains in the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy that match;   calculating an index based on the crossover point and the first hierarchy of the first address; and   sending a message from the sender to the receiver, wherein the message includes the index, wherein:   before the index reaches a predefined value, each node that receives the message adjusts the index and sends the message to a parent node based on the first address, and   when the index reaches a predefined value, each node sends the message to a child node based on the second address until a domain in which the receiver is located is reached.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein all nodes within a domain have a unique identifier. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each node has a single defined parent node in which to send messages. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message includes the first address, the second address, and the index. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the index is included in a header of a packet that includes an envelope including first address and the second address, and a body including information for the message. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the crossover point comprises:
 comparing the second address to the first address to determine a highest domain within the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy that match; and   continuing the compare the second address to the first address to determine a next highest domain within the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy that do not match, wherein the crossover point is a domain before the next highest node in the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the index comprises determining a distance between the crossover point and a last domain in the first hierarchy of the first address. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crossover point is a point in which the message should change from being routed up the first hierarchy to be being routed down the second hierarchy. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , when the index reaches a predefined value, each node checks if it is within the domain in which the receiver is located. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a first node, a message from a second node, the message including a first address of a sender and a second address of a receiver, the first address including a first hierarchy of a plurality of domains and the second address including a second hierarchy of a plurality of domains;   determining an index for the message;   determining if the index equals a predefined value;   if the index does not equal the predefined value, sending the message to a parent node of the first node based on the first address; and   if the index equals the predefined value, performing
 verifying the first node is not in a domain of the receiver; 
 if the first node is not in the domain of the receiver, sending the message to a child node of the first node based on the second address, 
   wherein the index is adjusted if the message is sent to the parent node of the first node based on the first address and not adjusted if the message is sent to the child node of the first node based on the second address.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein if the index equals the predefined value, the message is sent to a child node of each node that receives the message until a node in the domain of the receiver is reached. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the crossover point is a point in which the message should change from being routed up the first hierarchy to be being routed down the second hierarchy. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:
 determining a first address of a sender and a second address of a receiver, the first address including a first hierarchy of a plurality of domains and the second address including a second hierarchy of a plurality of domains;   calculating a crossover point based on the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy, the crossover point being one of the domains in the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy that match;   calculating an index based on the crossover point and the first hierarchy of the first address; and   sending a message from the sender to the receiver, wherein the message includes the index, wherein:   before the index reaches a predefined value, each node that receives the message adjusts the index and sends the message to a parent node based on the first address, and   when the index reaches a predefined value, each node sends the message to a child node based on the second address until a domain in which the receiver is located is reached.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein all nodes within a domain have a unique identifier. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein each node has a single defined parent node in which to send messages. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the message includes the first address, the second address, and the index. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the index is included in a header of a packet that includes an envelope including first address and the second address, and a body including information for the message. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein calculating the crossover point comprises:
 comparing the second address to the first address to determine a highest domain within the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy that match; and   continuing the compare the second address to the first address to determine a next highest domain within the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy that do not match, wherein the crossover point is a domain before the next highest domain in the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein calculating the index comprises determining a distance between the crossover point and a last domain in the first hierarchy of the first address. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , when the index reaches a predefined value, each node checks if it is within the domain in which the receiver is located.